Increasing Morale One Cut at a Time

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jamaal Liddell | 160816-N-NF288-088 PHILIPPINE SEA (May 23, 2016) Clipper guards rest in the Hollywood Cuts barbershop aboard the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan provides a combat-ready force which protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jamaal Liddell/Released)  

AT SEA

08.16.2016

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class James Kimber  

USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76)   

Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Keith Alston, from Beaufort, South Carolina, a USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) barber, has cut hair since joining the Navy three years ago.
“After graduating high school, I decided to take a break while figuring out what to do with my life,” said Alston. “Before I joined the Navy, I was a sauté cook at Olive Garden. I decided I wanted to try something new and travel the world. I wanted to go anywhere out of the states, preferably Italy. When I got Japan though, I was pretty stoked about it. They asked me what I wanted to do when I got to the Reagan, and I told them I wanted to be a barber.”
Not all of Ronald Reagan’s barbers receive technical training at “A” school. They typically sharpen their skills through on-the-job training, which may be coupled with more advanced training from “C” school.
“There’s no real hands on training in “A” school,” said Alston. “It involves mostly learning about sanitation on computers.”
According to Alston, the schools teach disease prevention by avoiding the use of old or contaminated blades.
“I had on-the-job training and learned on the go, but I picked it up pretty quickly,” said Alston. “I did it for about a month while on the ship. I also attended the barber “C” school, where they fly an instructor from San Diego to the ship.”
Alston said that along with sanitation, “C” school also teaches basic military regulation haircuts and how to cut different types of hair from kinky to straight. Even with training though, everyone makes mistakes.
“I remember I was cutting a Sailor’s hair once, and the guard on my clippers was loose and fell off,” said Alston. “I ended up skinning a small section on the back of his head. I had to tell him that I messed him up and would have to make the taper a lot higher to fix it. He ended up loving the final cut and kept coming back to see me. I learned that day to pay a lot more attention to my guards and whether they fit correctly.”
Performing a top-notch job ensures barbers have loyal customers.
Chief Information Systems Technician Richard Jones, from Goldsborough, North Carolina, said Alston cuts his hair about every two weeks.
“He does an awesome job,” said Jones. “He’s just as good as the barbers on base, if not better.”
The Sailors that frequently get their hair cut have to deal with the variations in the atmosphere and hairstyles between civilian and Navy barbershops.
“The difference between cutting hair in the Navy is you’re just cutting the same haircuts back to back; it’s a repetition,” said Alston. “In the civilian world, you can do parts, faddish haircuts or whatever the customer wants. It’s a wider variety with more freedom to be creative. When it comes to the atmosphere difference between civilian and Navy barbershops, you have to watch what you say. We’re held to different standards here and it’s not the same as the civilian world where you can discuss whatever you want.”
Alston said, that the most common out-of-regulation hair issues are having parts in the wrong location.
“A part has to run forward to aft,” said Alston. “A lot of Sailors come into the shop asking for parts on the side of their heads but end up changing their minds when I tell them it’s out of regulations.”
Along with keeping Sailors within regulations, barbers also affect the overall mission of a ship with something as simple as a haircut.
“We determine how a person looks and feels for the next two weeks,” said Alston. “It’s a big boost to morale. I’ve seen a lot of people get in my chair in a bad mood that end up leaving with a certain step or a swagger and a much better mood."
Along with increasing morale, having a clean haircut helps maintain professionalism and military bearing.
“Being a Navy barber is pretty cool—cutting the admiral, CO (Commanding Officer) and XO’s (Executive Officer) hair,” said Alston. “I have the opportunity to hear what they have to say and to get to know them.”
Ronald Reagan’s barbers play an important part in the overall mission of America’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier one cut at a time.
“Being part of America’s flagship is a great look,” said Alston. “We’re keeping up to the standards of America’s best ship.”
After the Navy, Alston said he has thoughts on continuing to cutting hair.
“I plan on opening up a barbershop,” said Alston. “I’ve been saving up and I plan on going to trade school to get my civilian barber skills up and learn how to do different haircuts. I want to keep my shops name along the lines of A-1 Cuts. I’m still searching for the second part of the name but I know the first part will be A-1. I want to move to the outside world and see how far I can take it.”

• Date Taken: 08.16.2016
• Date Posted: 04.14.2017 05:43
• Story ID: 230357
• Location: AT SEA